Learning Experience Outside Formal Education That Influenced Me
An important learning experience outside of formal schooling that I remember well actually connects to what I now consider to be one of my strengths. Early in my career I was asked to lead a team made up of members from different departments. I had no actual authority over this group but I was to be held responsible for the outcome of the project.
Initially I approached the task from what I felt was a role of leadership. I came in with a lot of ideas and tried to lead and shape (some might say monopolize) the group discussion. It quickly became clear that this approach led to some people being frustrated and just shutting down, feeling that they were being “led” through a process rather than participating authentically in it. Others just simply acquiesced to my leadership assuming that I probably had more knowledge than they did in this area. Without any actual authority I was not able to get these individuals to contribute much. The end product was fine, basically my own brain-child and work, but I wasn’t happy with how the process itself had gone.
Luckily I was self aware enough at the time (which has not always been my strong suit) to recognize that my approach had not really worked. I wasn’t really leading a group process at all. I was simply doing work with group members present. The next time I had an opportunity to lead a group I tried to play a very different role. I did have research and ideas to bring to the table but I encouraged the group early on to discuss their ideas and feel ownership of the process. I made sure they understood that their input was valuable, even if they had an outside perspective. I also realized the value of accessing my own humility. I quickly realized that while the ideas I came in with were solid, the end product would be much, much richer as a result of group engagement. Coming in with ideas and research was helpful because it gave the group a starting point and objective data. But approaching their engagement differently and authentically including them in the process resulted in them being much more forthcoming with their ideas and sparked a lively back and forth and rich discussion of potential approaches. Even those that knew very little about the work ahead of time brought fresh perspectives and unique ideas and pointed out things that those of us very connected to the work had not seen. Most importantly, the product was much improved. This was a very valuable lesson for me. I learned that not only could I facilitate a group process that was a positive experience for the members but that I was much smarter with them than I was alone. While the vision and knowledge of individuals is important and valuable – engaging a larger group of thinkers ultimately improves the result.
An important learning experience outside of formal schooling that I remember well actually connects to what I now consider to be one of my strengths. Early in my career I was asked to lead a team made up of members from different departments. I had no actual authority over this group but I was to be held responsible for the outcome of the project.
Initially I approached the task from what I felt was a role of leadership. I came in with a lot of ideas and tried to lead and shape (some might say monopolize) the group discussion. It quickly became clear that this approach led to some people being frustrated and just shutting down, feeling that they were being “led” through a process rather than participating authentically in it. Others just simply acquiesced to my leadership assuming that I probably had more knowledge than they did in this area. Without any actual authority I was not able to get these individuals to contribute much. The end product was fine, basically my own brain-child and work, but I wasn’t happy with how the process itself had gone.
Luckily I was self aware enough at the time (which has not always been my strong suit) to recognize that my approach had not really worked. I wasn’t really leading a group process at all. I was simply doing work with group members present. The next time I had an opportunity to lead a group I tried to play a very different role. I did have research and ideas to bring to the table but I encouraged the group early on to discuss their ideas and feel ownership of the process. I made sure they understood that their input was valuable, even if they had an outside perspective. I also realized the value of accessing my own humility. I quickly realized that while the ideas I came in with were solid, the end product would be much, much richer as a result of group engagement. Coming in with ideas and research was helpful because it gave the group a starting point and objective data. But approaching their engagement differently and authentically including them in the process resulted in them being much more forthcoming with their ideas and sparked a lively back and forth and rich discussion of potential approaches. Even those that knew very little about the work ahead of time brought fresh perspectives and unique ideas and pointed out things that those of us very connected to the work had not seen. Most importantly, the product was much improved. This was a very valuable lesson for me. I learned that not only could I facilitate a group process that was a positive experience for the members but that I was much smarter with them than I was alone. While the vision and knowledge of individuals is important and valuable – engaging a larger group of thinkers ultimately improves the result.